Need a leaf blower for this Fall Season but are not sure what kind to buy? We’ve got you covered. Here is everything you need to know about each type of leaf blower. Read to see how you can choose the perfect leaf blower for your needs.
Types of Leaf Blowers
Handheld Leaf Blowers
Handheld blowers are lightweight, maneuver easily, and take up minimal storage space. Held comfortably with one hand, handheld blowers are the most popular option among homeowners and are great for small jobs that don’t require massive amounts of blowing power. Their power can typically handle light snow, sawdust, and dry leaves.
Backpack Leaf Blowers
With backpack blowers, the motor sits in a harness strapped to the user’s back, making it more comfortable and less taxing on the user’s arm. They are slightly larger than your average handheld blower, so keep that in mind when it comes to storage. Backpack blowers are more powerful and have longer run times than handheld blowers, making them perfect for medium-large scale jobs that require blowing for long periods of time. Their power can typically handle wet leaves, small rocks, and metal shavings.
Walk-Behind Leaf Blowers
The largest and most powerful option of blowers are walk-behind blowers. Great for large scale, professional jobs, these blowers are powerful enough to blow away cardboard, piles of leaves, and other trash. Most favorable to landscaping professionals, walk-behind blowers are the least physically exacting and the biggest in terms of storage.
Leaf Blower Fuel Types
Battery
Battery-operated blowers are as easy as clicking in the battery and blowing away. This fuel type (or lack thereof) is most popular among first-time-blower buyers. It is also great for those that own batteries from the same brand of machines because they are normally interchangeable. With little to no maintenance necessary, the only real cons to a battery-operated leaf blower is it’s limited power and run time.
Corded
A step up in run time from the battery-operated blowers, a corded leaf blower is a great option for those that want the ease of a battery-operated blower but with more power. Corded blowers are lightweight with great output. But, the very thing that gives it more power (the cord) is also what makes it less desirable. The cord can get in the way or even catch on the machine and limits the distance you can travel with your blower.
Gas
The most powerful type of blower is going to be your gas-fueled leaf blower. Gas blowers are perfect for landscaping companies or homeowners with a large space to cover. There are some that require an oil/gas blend and others that run on gas alone. Luckily, we sell premixed oil/gas blends with ratios specific to your machine so that you can take the guesswork out of filling your blower.
With gas blowers, keep in mind that they require the most maintenance, are the loudest of all blowers, and you of course, need to purchase gas.
Leaf Blower Features
CFM
CFM means Cubic Feet per Minute. CFM is the volume of air coming out of the leaf blower, which also translates to how far the blower will push the leaves. People like to talk about wind speed, but it’s really the CFM that matters.
MPH
MPH is the Miles Per Hour, which measures how fast the air is moving out of the mower. Having a blower with a higher MPH will allow you to complete an entire job quicker due to its power.
A blower with a high CFM will allow you to blow more leaves, whereas a blower with a high MPH will blow away larger debris. If you have to choose one over the other, it’s best to choose a blower with a higher CFM.
The Right Leaf Blower For You
For homeowners with a small yard, deck or patio, a battery or corded-handheld leaf blower will probably suit you best. For those with a medium-large space to cover with lots of debris to blow, either a battery or gas-powered-backpack leaf blower would be optimal. And lastly, large scale or professional landscaping projects would benefit most from investing in a walk-behind leaf blower, which would typically only run on gas.
Regardless of the type of leaf blower you need for this autumn season, we’ve got it here waiting for you at Suburban Lawn & Equipment. Stop in to pick out the perfect blower for you!
Check Out The Scag Ride-On WINDSTORM Blower – This Leaf Blower is Insane!
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